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61 LANDTECHNIK 2/2006Stefan Enders, Juliana Maˇcuhová and Bernhard Haidn, Freising
Influence of House Climate
on the Lying Behaviour of Dairy Cows
T
he optimal range of the ambient tempe- rature for dairy cows is between +4 and +16 °C [1]. When temperatures get out of this optimal range, cattle react by physiolo- gical adaptation mechanisms and also by changed behaviour. The lying behaviour is one of the indicators, whether the physiolo- gical temperature control mechanisms of the animals are sufficient or if the missing com- fort by lying can be better obtained by stand- ing or in other place in the stable.The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of the environmental pa- rameters in the stable on the lying behaviour of dairy cows during four (pilot farm 1) and six months (pilot farm 2). Both investigated stables are 3-row loose housing stables with lying boxes for 110 dairy cows, using cur- tains to control openings in the sidewall. The first dairy farm lies in the Bavarian alpine upland, the second in the Rhoen low moun- tains..
This study was a part of large cooperative project for adequate animal housing, envi- ronmentally compatible and competitive animal housing systems, financed by the Ba- varian State Ministry of Agriculture and Fo- restry
Measurements
Ultrasound sensors, installed above each se- cond lying box, were used for the recording of the lying behaviour. They determine every four seconds the distance between sensor and soil and/or lying or standing animal.
From the measured distance it can be con- cluded, whether the lying-box is empty or a cow is lying or standing in the lying box.
Temperature and humidity were recorded by combined temperature and humidity sen- sors placed at the stable external wall and at two central places in the stable. The wind speed and also temperature recordings were performed by 15 temperature-air stream sen- sors (hot wire anemometers). These sensors were installed in three measure rows along the lying box rows and the curtains. A me- teorological station placed approximately 200 meters from the investigated stable
noted the current weather conditions. Wind direction and wind speed were measured in 10 m height.
Results
Occupation of the lying boxes
The average occupation of the lying boxes during the entire recording period, calcula- ted for the time interval between the morning and evening milking, was 48 % in the first dairy farm and 54 % in second farm. In both dairy farms large differences in the occupa- tion of the individual lying boxes could be observed (farm 1: 3 to 68 %; farm 2: 8 to 67 %). Edge boxes, which are separated with a limber wall from the passages, and thus of- fer less lateral free spacer, or boxes placed near very highly frequented places (at the dairy farm 2 the lying boxes beside the con- centrate feeder) are usually less occupied and deviate from the remaining lying boxes substantially. Differences in the occupation of the lying box can be observed also bet- ween rows. The highest occupation of the lying boxes is observed in the row aligned to feeding table (lying box row at the fee- ding table: farm 1: 51 % and farm 2: 59 %;
remaining rows: farm 1: 47 % and farm 2: 51 %).
Influence of the temperature on the lying behaviour
Different lying behaviour was observed at low (<5 °C) and at high (> 20 °C) average daily temperatures. Thus the average occu- pation of the lying boxes on cold days was approx. 61 %, on warm days it was only ap- prox. 55 %. To show the influence of the tem- perature on the lying behaviour, five days with high and low temperatures (Fig. 1) were compared. To do this the 10 minute va- lues of the examined days were averaged; by this way the determined average tempera- tures during the cold days ranged between - 5 and 2° C and in the course of the warm day between 20 and 32 °C. The occupation of the lying boxes during the warm days was approx. 10 to 20 per cent points lower than during the cold days.
For economic reasons and dairy cow needs, predominantly non-in- sulated free-stall barns with roller ventilation systems are being built.
In order to get information under varying climate environments, the lying behaviour of dairy cows in cubicles was recorded over a peri- od of several months in two barns.
In the thermo-neutral temperature range, no microclimate influence on the lying behaviour could be de- termined. At higher temperatures the cubicle occupation decreases, depending on wind speed. Further influences on the lying behaviour are the time and length of the day.
M.Sc. Stefan Enders, Dr. Juliana Maˇcuhová, und Dr.
Bernhard Haidn are research associates at Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Farm Buildings and Environmental Technology (Director: Dr. Georg Wendl) of the Bavarian State Research Centre for Agriculture, 85354 Freising;
e-mail: bernhard.haidn@lfl.bayern.de The authors thank to Bavarian State Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry for financial support.
Keywords
House climate, dairy cows, lying behaviour
Literature
[1] Deutsche Landwirtschftsgesellschaft 2004. DLG- Merkblatt 336
Influence of the temperature on the lying behaviour in regard to time of day
To clarify the temperature influence regard- ing the times of day day on lying behaviour, i.e. to consider the natural daily rhythm of the cows, the occupation of the lying boxes was compared at the same time of day on warm and cold days. The relationship bet- ween the average occupation of the lying bo- xes at outside temperatures above 20 °C and below 5 °C at the same day and night time is represented in Figure 2. This relationship can be described with the help of a square function. It seems that the occupation of the lying boxes between 35 and 55 % at warm temperatures would at cold temperatures re- sult in 10 to 15 percent points more cows.
However, if at the warm temperatures alrea- dy over 60 % of the cows are lying, then at the cold temperatures it would be not visible more. A temperature influence is then not more observed. This is a clear indicator that apart from the temperature other factors play a large role.
Influence of wind speed on the lying behaviour
The air movement in the stable depends on the region, the placement of the stable in the
vicinity and the kind and size of the wall clo- sure. The curtains installed in both farms were closed at temperatures below 6 °C. This applies likewise for wind speed over 6 m/s.
With this, the measured data showed this, a large protection against outside wind move- ment is reached. With open curtains the average outside wind speed was 2.0 m/s at a standard deviation of 1.6 m/s. At the same time, an average air movement of 0.36 to 0.52 m/s with standard deviations of 0.24 to 0.43 could be measured at different places in the stable. Although with closed curtains the average outside wind speed with 2,65 m/s ± 2,15 m/s was clearly higher, the average air movement in the stable was only 0.23 to 0.29 m/s ± 0,10 to 0,19 m/s.
No relationship was found between the air movement in the stable and the occupation of lying boxes for the temperature range up to 23 °C. However, the occupation of the lying boxes at higher temperatures increases with increasing air movement in the stable. The correlation coefficients between wind speed and the occupation of the lying boxes was 0.30 (farm 1) resp. 0.28 (farm 2).
Conclusion
From the results of the animal behaviour and the stable environment measurements the following conclusions can be drawn:
• Large differences in the occupation of the individual lying boxes are observed in the stable. Particularly edge boxes are very less occupied.
• At the middle temperatures (5 to 20 °C) there is no clear relationship between stable environment and animal behaviour. There- fore, the control of the opening/closing of curtains can be kept very wide.
• At high temperatures, significantly less cows lie than at low temperature. This shows a decreased comfort for the animals.
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Fig. 1: Occupati- on of lying boxes at cold and hot days
Fig. 2: Correlati- on between the percentage of lying cows at hot and cold days
Fig. 3: Percenta- ge of lying cows depending on wind velocity outside at temperatures >
20 °C
